Ice Princess
by Dreamer From Above
Summary: Tiana is the daughter of two figure skating world champions, and with hopes to follow her parents one day, she pursues ice skating. There's just one problem: she's a total clutz. After the divorce of her parents, she and her father move to Russia to have a new start in life. There, Tiana encounters Yuri P. for the first time since her junior debut.
1. Chapter 1: Meet Tiana

Tiana leaned her head against the window, seeing her breath fog over the glass. Her earbuds plugged in her ears, and the sound of loud music playing could be heard. Her sad eyes glazed over as she gazed out the window. Dark bags were underneath of her eyes, and her blue orbs were bloodshot from crying. Sitting next to her was a broad man with black hair with a grey pepper mix in it and grey eyes. Her father was named Boris Petrov—a three-time world champion gold medalist in the male's single figure skating. It was at the world cup series where her father met her mother, Meredith. Her mother was an American figure skater who was also a one-time world champion gold medalist for the women's single. The two married and moved to America where they had Tiana and raised her there—till today. Today, Tiana and her father were moving to St. Petersburg, Russia. The plane ride there was long, and the time change was going to take a while to get used to. Not only that, it was freaking cold in Russia! She was going to miss the Florida beaches and the hot weather. Good-bye to year round bronze skin.

The brunette closed her eyes, picturing her almost perfect life back in Orlando, Florida. Her mother was always smiling and cooking dinner. After her parents married at the age of 25, they both retired from the world of figure skating. When Tiana was a small child, they coached her to figure skate. Everything was going fine and dandy at first, till something dawned upon them…

Tiana Petrov, the only child of Boris and Meredith, both world champions of figure skating, was cursed to be a horrible clutz. No matter what Tiana ever did she always tripped over _everything._ Her feet, her bag, her skates, going down the stairs, going _up_ the stairs—everywhere and everything. It didn't matter. After embarrassing herself at her last competition two years ago she quit competing. She never made it pass Let's Skate America, and even then, she ended dead last for not making _none_ of her jumps. She couldn't even land a simple toe-loop… It was embarrassing to call herself the daughter of the Petrov family…

Despite all of that, she was close to her family, especially with her mother. Growing up, her mother took care of her while her father worked a full time job during the week. They had money, but her father had a saying that went, "We all have work to do that needs to be done." When Tiana was small, her father didn't work as much because he wanted to coach her during competition season, but after she said she quit, he began to work even more. Tiana felt like she disappointed her father to the point he didn't want to be home with her…

As for her mother… After her father started working, her mother began to act weird. She was hardly ever home, and she rarely cooked dinner. She said it was because her father always returned late from work, so it shouldn't matter. Eventually, Tiana could hear yelling in her parents rooms all the time. It wasn't long afterwards when they broke the news to Tiana that they were divorcing…

The divorce made headlines in the figure skating realm. Boris and Meredith were nicknamed as the king and queen of ice—essentially, the perfect couple. After nearly seventeen years of marriage, they called it quits. Why? Because her mother had an affair with another male figure skater who was twenty years younger than she.

Tiana blamed herself for the divorce. If she didn't suck at figure skating, her family would be happy and continue coaching her to strive to her best. Instead, she quit. Because of her quitting, it led to her father working more hours and her mother's adultery.

 _"Yuri Plisetsky made history after winning the gold medal in today's Grand Prix Final."_

Tiana lifted her head to see the image of the blonde male with green-blue eyes on the screen. He finished dancing to his final program. She watched as Yuri fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face from sheer ecstasy. She removed her earbuds to hear what the reporter was saying.

The screen showed of a crowd called Yuri's Angels standing in the lobby, waving their poster boards and yelling his name. "Yuri! You're so beautiful! Yuri! Yuri!" Screamed the fans and Yuri nodded to them and thanked them for their support.

"What is your plan now that you've won the Grand Prix Final?" Asked a female journalist.

Yuri looked at the camera, his steely cool gaze sucking the breath out of Tiana.

"Next is the International championship. I'll be taking the break to prepare for it this February." He explained with a fiery passion sparked in his eyes.

Tiana watched him closely, seeing his face growing serious.

"I will be the champion of that series as well!"

Yuri's Angels cheered in the crowd, and Tiana tilted her head to the side. The camera moved over to show Viktor and Yuuri, with Yuuri showing off his silver medal to Viktor.

"It was a close competition, wasn't it?"

Tiana turned her head to see her father was watching the screen. Her chin knelt down to her lap. "I guess…" She replied.

"You'll return to the ice one day." Her father chimed in her thoughts and she turned her head to look at him, her bangs covering her eyes.

"What makes you say that?" She asked, feeling slightly taken aback from his comment. She had no intentions of ever returning to the rink. After her last competition, she couldn't face herself to return.

Her father smiled. "It's in your blood. You are the daughter of the king and queen of the ice rink."

Tiana turned her head to look out the window again, her head leaning against the glass once more.

"We'll see about that…" She replied.

Her father chuckled and he turned his attention back to the TV screen. Tiana couldn't help but look and watch replays of Yuri's final performance on the ice. Just as she thought, he was beautiful in every way. No one like him would ever notice her…

Tiana plugged the earbuds back in her ears and prayed that the move would be smooth.


	2. Chapter 2: Jet Lag

"Did you hear about the owner recently died?" Asked a female skater to another.

"Yes, I've heard. It's such a shame!"

"But I heard the rink has already been purchased by someone else."

"Oh? Like who?"

The girl smiled from ear to ear. "Boris Petrov! He's coming back to Russia!"

Her friend's eyes widen. "You're shitting me? The three-time world figure skating champion from 1998?"

"I am not! It was confirmed recently that his divorce with Meredith Petrov was finalized! Not only is Boris moving back, but he's bringing his daughter with him."

The girl tilted her head. "They had a daughter?"

"Yeah, that's what I've read."

"Who is she?"

The sound of a can being kicked was heard, and the two girls turned their head to see a boy wearing all black clothing sporting with a Team Russia jacket. The hood of the jacket was over his head, but a peak of blonde hair could be seen.

"No one special." The boy stood up, his hoodie falling off to reveal it was Yuri Plisetsky.

The girls' eyes widen.

"Yuri Plisetsky?!" The two girls exclaimed, and Yuri waved them off before walking down the steps.

Yuri shrugged the jacket from his shoulders and hanged it over the wall. He removed the covers to his blades and smoothly glided across the ice to the middle of the rink. He closed his eyes and breathed in.

 _If you can't do it, then why even bother wasting space on the scoreboard?_

It was three years ago when Yuri first met a young girl named Tiana Petrov. She was a few months older than he, and everyone at the competition had high hopes for her.

"She's the daughter of Boris and Meredith Petrov."

People talked all high and mighty about her being the daughter of two world champions, and how they all had high hopes for the young girl. No one never saw her skate competitively before, and they were excited to see what she was like.

Yuri watched as the thirteen-year-old Tiana glided across the rink. She was beautiful in her red costume. It was simple and plain, but she looked beautiful, none the less. Her long, brunette hair was pulled high in a ponytail, and her makeup was simple. In her hair was a white rose clipped in it. The way she presented herself in the rink was utter grace, but her performance was… disappointing.

It made Yuri feel sad to see such a beautiful girl to have no artistry in her performance. Even her step sequence lacked finesse, and she made none of her jumps. At the end of the performance, she hanged her head low, and Yuri could see her crying. Her parents had to go to her in the middle of the rink to pull her out of it.

It really pissed him off.

All that praise from people was total bull.

The young girl sat on the bench behind a wall, her head hanging low. Yuri went to her, a look of scorn in his eyes. Her parents had their backs turned to her, talking to some news reporters for her.

Tiana lifted her head when a shadow loomed over her. Her eyes were bloodshot, and stains left from her tears were on her cheeks.

"If you can't do it, then why even bother wasting space on the scoreboard?"

Like that, her heart shattered. More tears came to her eyes and she hung head in shame. She wasn't worthy to be in the rink. She was talentless and pathetic. No backbone or nothing. He couldn't respect people like her.

Yuri scrunched his nose. "Just quit already." He said, turning his back to her and walking away.

After that day, Yuri heard Tiana officially dropped out and quit figure skating. No one hasn't seen her return to the ice since.

Yuri's eyes snapped open and he dropped his arms, beginning his routine to _Agape._

The small crowd whom sat in the stands watched him with deep interest. He practiced at the Ice Palace day and night, preparing for competition after competition. He wanted to be the best of the best, and he was exactly that.

"Here we are." Tiana's father slammed the door shut to his black SUV. "Home sweet home," he grinned as he stared up at the two story brick home. The bottom half of the home was color yellow, and the upper half was white. It was a beautiful home with a cherry wood door. The windows were painted white, and inside, they were covered with white, lace curtains.

Tiana stepped out of the vehicle, gently closing the door. A bag swished over her shoulder and she stared at the rather large house that was going to occupy a family of two. It almost saddened her heart to know that her mother wasn't going to be a part of their new life in Russia, but then again, the key word was _almost._

"I know it's large, but I really like the architecture of the home." He knocks on the brick. "Brick holds more heat than wood." He stated.

Tiana buried her nose in her jacket, her nose already turning red from the frigid air. She already missed the warm sun of Florida and the year round of 70 degrees and above. She checked her iPhone 6 to see that it was currently 32 degrees in Russia, compare that to 76 back in Florida.

Her father goes through the keys on the key loop till he found the right one to unlock the door. Once unlocked, he pushed the door open and he offered for her to go in first.

Tiana walked passed her father, thankful that the heat was already turned on. Her head turned to look around the room, noticing that the living room was quite large—and already fully furnished.

Boris flicked a light switch on to reveal a beautifully decorated room. The walls were painted a light yellow with a white trim and border. There was a white four seated couch leaning against the wall with a large colorful picture hanging over it. In front of it was a glass coffee table. The centerpiece of the table was a pink vase with two white roses. Next to the vase was the remote that controlled the 62" inch HD flat TV screen. Catty-cornered was a white recliner with a pink blanket covering the top. On the other side of the room was a trophy case full with medals and trophies from her father's figure skating days.

"I had a moving crew unpack for us already. All your stuff is upstairs and put up in your room. It's the first door to the left." He explained.

A sense of relief washed over Tiana. She was too tired to worry about unpacking before sleep. It was currently 12 PM. There was an eight-hour difference between St. Petersburg and Orlando. Right now, it was 4am in Florida, and Tiana was bushed after her 14-hour flight.

Tiana pushed open the door, and she looked over her new room. The walls were painted a lilac color with a white border. There was one large bay window that looked out into the street. Her bed was a full size mattress with a light blue comforter. Different colors of zigzags crossed decorated the comforter. Another blanket was placed at the end of the bed for decoration. The main color was dark purple, but different colors of butterflies scattered about the blanket. The bedframe had four, tall poles, and the wood was painted white.

Tiana gripped the pole, standing in place next to her bed. Her room looked like it was right out of a Home and Style magazine for teens. She liked it, but it felt bittersweet to her. It felt like her father was trying to make her happy… As if she deserved such a thing as happiness.

A knock was heard on the door was heard before being opened.

"Do you like it?" Her father asked as he stepped in the spacious room. A flicker of hope could be heard in his voice. He was seeking for her approval.

The blue eye brunette faced him, and a slow smile came to her pale pink lips.

"I love it," she replied honestly. She really did like her room. It was thoughtful.

A grin came to his lips. "I'd knew you love it! I asked multiple people for an opinion, and I knew you always liked purple."

She nodded her head. It wasn't her favorite color. It was actually sky blue, but she wouldn't tell him that. He looked so happy with her response and reaction.

Boris rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at the time on his watch. "I guess it would be odd to say goodnight, wouldn't it?" He asked.

Tiana laughed softly. She knew what he meant. She walked to him and kissed his cheek.

"Good night, papa. I love my room." She smiled softly. "Thank you…"

Her father grinned at her and he ruffled her hair. "Night, _zvyozdochka_."

Tiana smiled softly. Her father always called her that since she was a small. In English, it translated to "little star." He first gave her that nickname when she entered the skating rink the first time. After she dropped out of figure skating, she was ashamed of the pet name. She was no star. She was a far cry from it.

He pulled his hand back and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Once he was gone, Tiana dropped the smile from her face. She went to the desk that had her laptop on it. Her desk was sitting in front of the bay window. Sitting there, she could look out and see what the outside world was up to. She didn't see much. The neighborhood they lived in was relatively quiet—at least from what she gathered. They lived next to a major fishing port, but it surprised her when she was told there wasn't much noise of it that reached the neighborhood.

She lifted the lid of her laptop open and decided to check her Facebook account. She scrolled through her newsfeed for a few minutes, till she ran over a picture of her mom and her boyfriend tagged by her aunt Petra. It was posted twelve hours ago. Twelve hours ago, Tiana and her father were on the plane, on their way to Russia.

The couple were laying back on a blanket, sunbathing together. Sunglasses shielded their eyes from the harsh rays of the bright orb, and her mom wore a black bikini. For a forty-one-year old woman, she didn't look bad at her. The brunette hair Tiana inherited was pulled back in a ponytail. She had deep curves, and her chest nicely filled the bikini top. Fortunately, for her mom, she didn't look a day over twenty-eight.

Tiana's eyes landed on her mother's boyfriend. His name was Brad Hicks. He recently turned twenty-one, and he was training to compete in the men's single international competition. He was a good looking man with dark hair and brown eyes. His body was nicely built, obviously from hours of figure skating. Tiana knew of Brad before the affair. She used to admire him in secret—until she found out her mom had an affair with him. After that, she burned all the magazine covers and posters she collected of him. She felt disgusted that her mom was dating someone who could be her older brother… No words could describe the hurt and betrayal her mother committed. Yes, Tiana blamed herself a lot for her parents divorcing, but it was her mom who had the affair. And there she was, back in Florida, sunbathing with her boyfriend. Petra's status said, " _Thank God for the sun and warm weather in Florida!"_

Tiana was about to logout of Facebook when she got a message from her mom.

Meredith Lowery: Did you make it to your new home safely?

It surprised Tiana when she received the message, considering it was early in the AM back in Florida. Tiana tapped her fingers against the keyboard, thinking carefully if she should reply so soon… But then again, this was her mom. She did promise her mom to message her after she settled in.

Tiana Petrov: Yeah. I'm here and about to go to bed.

It didn't take her mom long to make reply.

Meredith Lowery: Okay baby. I love you, sweetie. Sleep well.

She didn't reply to the message. She shut the computer down and stretched her arms over her head. Her blue eyes casted out the window, seeing a few cars pass her new home.

Tiana pushed herself out of the chair and closed the curtains to her window. In her drawers she pulled out a pair of red and green fleece pajamas. She changed clothes, tossing her dirty clothes into the hamper in the corner before crawling into bed.

The young girl buried her nose into her pillow, inhaling the fragrance of lavender from the pillowcase. Her eyes fluttered shut and she fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.


	3. Chapter 3-New Year, New Me

Fireworks illuminated wonderfully bright colors into the late night sky. A light fog hung over the Mosckva, River, and loud applause of cheers and clapping could be heard from the show boat. People lined the bridge that hung over the river to watch the firework show. Tiana stood next to her father, her eyes wide with wonder, and a bright smile on her face. Her father turned his head to look at her, and he too smiled. He watched as the light of the fireworks reflected into her eyes, and he huffed softly before turning his head to continue watching the show.

The new year officially began with a bang, and here Tiana was in Russia. It has been a little over a week since her move to St. Petersburg, Russia. Getting used to the time difference was challenging, and Tiana was sure she would never get used to it. Not only that, but meeting new people was complicated for her. She was fluent in Russian, but she never spoke it with anyone outside of her father. She was nervous about being in a new country, but at the same time, it excited her.

"New Year, New Me?" Tiana thought out loud.

"What's that?" Her father asked, glancing at her.

Tiana shook her head. "It's nothing." She replied and she turned her attention to look at her father with a smile. She couldn't ruin this moment after her father went out of his way to take her all the way to Moscow. It was a seven-hour drive, and Tiana did not want to be confined in another seat for more than ten minutes. He said he had to take her, he insisted. They spent the last two days touring around the Red Square, looking at all the venues and shops. Her father bought her an entire new wardrobe, despite her trying to tell him he shouldn't.

" _You deserve to be spoiled,_ zvyozdochka _,"_ was what he said.

Boris chuckled, his laugh sounding deep as his voice. It was expected. Her father was a tall, broad man with blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. His chin had a dimple in it, and his mouth was big that held an equally affectious grin. It was odd. A man like her father could send others running for their money with one look, but Tiana never heard of anyone getting on her father's bad side. She secretly wondered if someone ever did, but they weren't alive to tell the story. To this day, her father continued working out on a daily basis. After he retired from figure skating, he picked up body building. He said it was a great hobby, and he planned to compete one day.

"I'm glad to see you smile." Her father commented, causing Tiana to blush a bit.

Was she smiling? She didn't realize that until he pointed it out. Since the divorce finalized, Tiana could count on her fingers how many times she caught herself smiling.

"Mhm…"

They continued walking down the sidewalk next to each other, shoulder to shoulder. People around them talked the night away, and Tiana could smell a small scent of booze hanging in the air. It was a night of celebration, after all.

"What do you plan on doing with the new year?"

Tiana looked at him, her eyebrows knitted together.

"What do you mean?"

"New home, new country, new year, new school. You already have a lot going on for you this year. I hope you're not overwhelmed about it all."

Ah, that was what it was. He was worried about her. Of course he was. She was his daughter after all. It was only natural.

To be honest, Tiana was afraid of it all. It terrified her even. Her parents finalized their divorce in November, she and her father finalized their plans to move to Russia on Christmas Eve, and here they were on New Year's Day in Moscow. It all was overwhelming, but there was no way she could tell him that. He worked too hard for her already.

Tiana tilted her head to the sky, a small smile playing on her face.

Little flakes of snow fell from the sky, and her smile only grew. It wasn't that bad here. Sure, she missed her home and she missed her mom a little, but she wouldn't change this day she was sharing with her father for anything.

"I'm doing okay." Tiana replied, looking at her father with a small smile playing on her lips.

A look of relief washed over her father's face. "Good."

The two walked back to their hotel room with plans to be up early in the morning to face the seven-hour drive back to St. Petersburg.

January 2nd came quicker than what Tiana had hoped for. Today, the day after the New Year, her father introduced himself to the staff at Ice Palace. It was his first day of managing the sight, and her first day of her first part-time job.

"It's nice to meet you all. If you haven't heard of me, my name is Boris Petrov. With me is my daughter Tiana Petrov." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Please treat her fairly. She will be working starting today as a skate host."

The staff had their eyes between she and her father. She felt a cold sweat come to her, and her shoulders stiffen.

Her father gently pushed her towards a young male. Tiana looked at the boy, and could tell he was a little older than she.

"H-Hello." She spoke to him, hoping she didn't sound as meek as she heard herself as.

The boy stared at her with his steely green eyes, and she sucked in her breath. He looked like he was going to chew her up and spit her out. His facial expression changed, and a wide grin spread on his lips in place of his scowl. "Hi! I'm Alan." He introduced himself, holding his hand to her.

Tiana looked taken aback, but her eyes soften. She shook his hand and she met the rest of the staff.

Everyone who she now worked with all seemed relatively nice—except for one girl. A girl who was appointed to be her trainer was named Diana. She had a heavy Russian accent, and she was _gorgeous._ She had bright green eyes and long red hair. Flecks of freckles covered her nose and cheeks, but other than that, her skin was flawless. The clothes she wore was really cute, and Tiana felt slightly jealous. She wore black leggings, ankle boots with a three-inch heel, a black skirt and a tight black shirt that complimented her curves. The blouse had a deep V-neck, showing a pool of her cleavage. Tiana didn't even have to ask if she was confident showing her body off like that. Sex appeal poured from her.

Boris long gone walked away, asking Diana to train her properly.

The girl stared at her with a blank look, chewing on a piece of gum and blowing it. The bubble made a 'popping' sound when it busted and she continued chomping on it.

"You look a little young to work as a skate host."

"I'm sixteen. My birthday is May 8th, so I'm almost seventeen…" She argued, biting her lip. She didn't want to seem anymore childish than what she already was. For a sixteen-year-old, she had a baby face that made her look more like twelve. She hated it. Her mom told her around her sixteenth birthday that she'd be thankful for it one day though.

"Oh? We're the same age." Diana said with no hint of a smile, but she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Whatev. Come. Follow me. I'll show you where the locker room is for the employees and I'll show you how to run a register." She looked at her. "You do know how to run a register, right?"

Tiana looked a little sheepish.

"No…"

Before today, Tiana never had a job. Her father told her she didn't have to work, but Tiana insisted that she wanted to after the move. She figured working a part-time job would be good for her. Not only that… if she earned her own money, then maybe her father would back off a little and let her buy her own things. Since the announcement of the divorce her father has endlessly spoiled her. It wasn't that she didn't like it. It was just it was beginning to become too much.

"Greaaaat." Diana droned out and rolled her eyes. "Fortunately, it's the day after of a major holiday, so you shouldn't have any trouble learning."

Tiana furrowed her brows together. The tone of her voice was starting to peeve her off, but she wasn't one to start fights.

The training was long, and Tiana had a lot to take in. She and Alan were sitting on the benches outside the skating rink, sharpening the blades of the rental skates. Music played over the speakers, and Tiana was listening to it. The music playing was EDM, and she was relaxing into the beat of the music.

"Yuri!"

Tiana's heart sank and she abruptly stopped sharpening the blade. A cold sweat covered Tiana's forehead.

It couldn't be, could it? Yuri was a popular name in Russia, right? There was no way the Russian Punk was at her father's skating rink of all places in St. Petersburg.

Lifting her head, Tiana's eyes casted over to the ice rink. Standing at the wall was Diana, a bright smile on her face. Her cheeks had a light blush to them, and from here, Tiana could see the look of lust clear in her eyes.

Standing in front of her was no one other than Yuri Plisetsky. His hair today was half up in a ponytail, and the other half lightly kissed his shoulders. From here, she could hear him talking to Diana, and the two shared a laugh. They were talking about an event that happened over the New Year, but Tiana didn't catch what in time.

As if he could sense her, Yuri turned his head to look at Tiana.

Tiana prayed that he wouldn't recognize her. It has been three years since their first encounter, and she hoped she'd never run into him again. The hope she had quickly shattered.

The corner of Yuri's mouth curved into an ugly sneer and he glared at her, causing her to tense up and drop the blade's sharpener to the floor.

He remembered her.

In that moment, time stopped completely. There was no one else around her but she and Yuri. It wasn't a good feeling at all. During that time, Tiana felt like her throat closed up, preventing her to breathe. She willed herself to do so—to do anything beyond staring at him. It was close to impossible though.

"Tiana."

The sound of Alan's voice calling her name brought Tiana's mind back from darkness. She turned her head to see he was holding the sharpener out to her. "You dropped this." He said, giving her a small, kind smile.

"Thank you…" Tiana mumbled and she took ahold of the sharpener.

Alan went back to concentrating on his skates, but Tiana glanced back at the rink. By now, she no longer saw Diana and Yuri conversing. Instead, Yuri was skating around the rink, doing light warm ups. Standing behind the wall watching him was Diana. Her entire face relaxed with a smile. She was in a dreamlike state.

The blades swishing across the ice caught Tiana's expression, and her eyes widen as she witnessed Yuri do a Quadruple Salchow toe loop directly in front of her. His hair glistened in the light of the sun, and a line of sweat dripped from his chin.

Was it this what writer's meant when they described in books when beast meet beauty? He was stunning, and the look in his eyes… full of determination and fire. Tiana would kill to have that much confidence… to have that much grace… to be totally focused on something else besides the world.

"Tiana."

"Hm?" She asked, not moving her eyes off of Yuri. Thinking back to it now, she never really watched Yuri perform before. She only heard of him being a child prodigy, but the closest she ever got to seeing him performing was that little bit on the plane. She didn't even see him skate at the junior competition three years ago.

"You're staring too much. We need to finish sharpening these. We'll be closing in an hour."

Alan snapped her thoughts off of Yuri and the past.

"Sorry," Tiana mumbled, turning her attention back to the rental skates and continued sharpening them.

The hour passed by quickly, and the employees all clocked out to go home.

"Have a good night, everyone!" Alan called, waving his arm over his head when he left with his bag over his shoulder.

Tiana watched as everyone left, and was the only one left. She wanted to help her dad finish locking up for the night, but he told her beforehand it might take him longer tonight. He said he had a ton of paperwork to do and it might be a good idea for her to go ahead and go home. Tiana told him it was fine and she would wait behind for him.

The lights were still on over the rink, the surrounding area bathed in darkness. Tiana's hand ran over the wall, staring at the ice. For some reason, her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the ice. She felt like something was calling out to her to skate.

 _Five minutes wouldn't hurt,_ she thought to herself.

Tiana borrowed a pair of rental skates in her size. She switched shoes and tried them on. They were a perfect fit. They were really worn, but they would do the purpose.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she felt her blood pump in her veins.

It has been three years since Tiana had been on the ice. She vowed to herself after the competition she would never get back on it, but there was an uncontrollable pull luring her to skate. It was… it was as if her soul was being called to it.

Tiana sucked in her breath and held it. She gripped the side of the freeway, reminding herself to exhale slowly. She closed her eyes and silently prayed. For some reason, she was terrified—but in a good way.

Willing herself to let go, Tiana pushed herself off of the wall and skated alongside of the wall, her hand only a reach away from it in case she was felt like she was going to fall.

Her legs wobbled as she skated along the wall, but she continued to tell herself that she was okay. She wasn't going to fall. She was doing just fine.

As the minutes passed, her confidence grew a little more and she began to skate further from the wall. A smile grew on her face as she felt one foot slide in front of the other. It almost felt like she was flying. Her confidence began to build more and her pace grew faster. A happy glee passed her lips as she glided across the rink—and into a wall when she wasn't quick enough to stop herself.

Yuri was just about to leave the Ice Palace when he saw Tiana grab a pair of rental skates. Curiosity peaked in him and he had to see what she was about to do. He hid himself in the shadows so she couldn't see him when she passed him by. When she was a few feet ahead, he quietly followed her behind.

In the darkness of the stands he was able to watch her from his seat without being seen. From where he sat he could see the look of fear mixed with something else he wasn't able to read. Determination, maybe? Acceptance, even? Whatever it was, it attracted him to her a little.

He watched as Tiana took her first step onto the ice. She took her time—going at a slow and steady pace. She wasn't in rush or anything like that. It was like watching a toddler taking its first step, or in her case, remembering how to feel the ice underneath the blades.

Minutes passed, and Tiana's confidence grew. He could see that. She no longer reached for the wall. Instead, she got further and further away from it. Before he knew it, she was skating across the ice at a moderate fast pace. He could hear Tiana's giggles echo in the air from where he sat. When he was about to become entranced by her skating, her body smacked into a wall and she fell to the ice.

Yuri laughed to himself quietly and a smirk came to his lips. Maybe there was something he overlooked three years ago?


	4. Chapter 4-Get Back Up

Tiana slowly sat herself up with a pair of shaking arms. Smacking herself into the wall was not a part of her plan, but she slowly got back onto her feet. She held onto the wall with a tight grip, willing her balance back. When she felt it was okay to move, she pushed herself off of the wall to continue where she left off.

Her back turned the opposite direction, deep in thought now as she glided backwards.

Why did she really give up on figure skating? Was it because of the junior competition? Or was it something more than that? Her parents were worldwide famous skaters, so of course she was nervous. What if she disappointed anyone? She couldn't live with herself to disappoint anyone.

She twirled around and skated at a quicker pace. Her heartbeat raced in her chest as beads of sweat formed on her temples.

Fear. She feared of disappointing anyone. That must've been the reason why she screwed up all the time. But right now, at this moment, no one was watching her. It was just her and the ice. Her father was in the office working on paperwork, and she was completely alone.

Tiana twisted around, skating faster. It has been years since she attempted a jump, but she wanted to test the waters and try. With a new found confidence, Tiana willed herself to jump a triple toe loop and landed it almost perfectly on both of her feet. She stumbled forward, but she found her balance. A smile spread across her lips.

She did it! She landed a jump! Her heart soared with happiness as she stood there in the middle of the rink. Her head was tilted back to look at the ceiling. The lights shinned brightly into her face and she closed her eyes as she recalled the first time she landed a toe loop.

When Tiana was small, she and her parents lived in Michigan. After two years of ballet, her parents said she was ready to figure skate at the age of seven. She was little and had a lot more confidence in herself than what she had now. She loved watching her parent's recorded figure skating competitions off of the VHS tapes. She remembered sitting in front of the TV for hours at a time, observing them skate. Her mother always looked beautiful with her makeup and costume—her face almost angelic with a small smile playing on her lips as she skated. Her father had a look of determination, and his blue eyes were fierce. They were serious about figure skating, and she wished she was more like them.

Tiana's parents were standing next to her as they instructed her on what to do. They wrapped the black belt around her waist with white stuffing in it to help break her fall. "Remember, Tiana. Tuck in your arms and jump." Her mother instructed.

Tiana's head bobbed as she slowly skated across the rink. For the last two months, she worked on her jumps. It was hard to force her body to jump high, but she tried. She wanted her parents to be proud of her.

Breathing slowly, Tiana inhaled and willed herself to pick up the speed. Her back faced the wall and she jumped higher than expected into the air. She twirled once in her jump, but she landed perfectly on her feet.

Meredith and Boris skated towards her, and her father picked her up.

"That was really good!" He grinned, and her parents squished her into a sandwich between their hugs.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Yuri lifted his head up to see a dark, looming figure standing over him. He huffed softly. He knew it was Tiana's father. His eyes went back to the rink as he watched Tiana skate across the ice, a small smile playing on her lips. He watched as she tucked her arms into her chest and performed another triple toe loop, landing this one successfully without a stumble.

He didn't reply to Boris's question. The silence between was comfortable though, as if that itself answered his question.

"She's a lousy idiot." He grumbled. He thought back to her first competition. Why couldn't she be more like this at her junior debut? It angered him a little, huffing softly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Tiana always was a nervous jittery bug since she was little for no reason. She could never handle pressure well." He chuckled. "When she practiced in front of me and Meredith, she was perfectly fine performing and landing her jumps. At her first competition, her nerves got the best of her and she failed herself." His smile saddened. "It's really my fault… I shouldn't have pressured her so much to do well on her jumps."

"You were her coach. It was your job." Yuri simply put. "It's her fault for letting the nerves get the best of her. She has a potential." He nods his head towards her as he witnessed her working on a combination spin.

Boris laughed quietly. "This is her first time skating since her junior debut." He watched his daughter, Tiana now heavy breathing. "She's amazing in every way." He teared up.

Yuri gave him a look of "are-you-crazy?"

"Aye! Don't you dare start crying, old man!" He quietly snapped at him. He was afraid Tiana would hear them and Yuri definitely did not want to be caught watching her alone in the dark.

Boris wiped at his eyes and smiled again. "I'm just glad to see her smile again…" His face softened. "She's been through so much in the last couple of months… I'm hoping with the move to here, she can finally have a new start to life and find what makes her happy. With, or without figure skating." He sighs softly.

Yuri didn't say anything. His attention was on the brunette, watching as she skated around the rink. She wasn't attempting anymore jumps now. She was probably too tired. But… there was a light on her face he never saw on anyone else before. It was almost angelic… A smile played on her lips, and this was the happiest he saw her so far yet.

He stood up, picking up his bag beside of him and throwing it over his shoulder. "Later, old man." Yuri said before walking away from him.

Boris chuckled softly and his eyes went back to his daughter.

Everything was going to be okay, and he knew it.

Thirty minutes later, Tiana placed the rental skates she borrowed where they go. She went to sit on a chair in the front lobby to wait for her father to finish his paperwork. It wasn't long after she settled in her chair her thoughts went back to rink. Ice underneath her blades… the feeling of flying… breathtaking wonder as she performed her first toe loop in years. Thinking of it made her heart beat accelerate. It was thrilling… She wanted to feel like that again—and soon at that. She couldn't stop thinking about it.

Maybe if she didn't quit after her junior debut, where would she be?

She shook her head. It wasn't safe to think like that. If she had those kind of thoughts, then she… she would think of her parents' divorce again.

The smile on her face fell, and she pressed her lips together. She felt like crying again, but she breathed in sharply. She held her breath and closed her eyes. The moment of peace sent her mind to thinking back to what she felt on the ice.

A tear ran down her cheek. Tiana touched her cheek and felt the moisture left from it. She looked at her fingers that were slightly damped.

Being on the ice felt natural to her. She felt like she was able to do anything while on it. For a little while, Tiana felt like she could forget her troubles and just be in the moment.

Was that okay, though? It was unsettling to act like everything was okay, when everything wasn't. She loved to figure skate—she realized that now. She knew she couldn't stay away for it like she promised herself she would. Ice skating, it was in her DNA. Her father told her it was, and as much as she tried denying it, she couldn't.

"Are you ready?"

Tiana lifted her head to see her father, smiling down at her with a soft expression on his face. He looked relaxed, calm, and collected—like always. Tiana wished she took after her dad more in that sense.

"Yes." She replied.

She stood up from her chair, and she and her father walked out of the building together. Boris locked the front doors before leaving to his car in the parking lot.

Inside the car, Tiana rubbed her arms together in a poor attempt to warm her body quicker. She has lived in Russia not that long, but she wished she was used to the cold weather. She began to wonder if she would ever get used to it. Boris cranked up the heater, and they sat there in silence as they waited for the car to warm up.

"How was your first day of your first job?"

Tiana looked at her reflection in the window, and she saw her father staring out in front of him. His fingers tapped against the steering wheel. He was nervous about something.

"It was good. Everyone at work is really nice."

Well, not everyone, but the majority of the crew was. She didn't want to be considered as a snitch on the first day of work—or ever. Besides, Diana wasn't the first mingy person she ever had to deal with.

"That's good."

Boris gripped the steering wheel, and Tiana could hear the wheels turning in his head from where she sat. Not literary, but she could see his facial expression in the reflection of the window in front of him. He had this serious look on his face, and his eyebrows were furrowed. It was the complete opposite of what he normally looked, but Tiana didn't ask him what was on his mind. If she did, and he had something on his mind about her, then he would ask questions. Questions was the worst thing he could do to her, because he knew she could never tell a lie. She was an awful liar.

"What do you think of having a couple of famous skaters at our rink? Pretty cool, right?"

Tiana was getting nervous. He was trying to make conversation with her to make her relax, which was not a good idea.

"Yeah, I guess." She nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders. She wanted to pretend his questions didn't bother her.

"It surprised me when I found out the Grand Prix Finalist from the men singles practices here."

Tiana sucked in her breath.

Ah, heck. He wanted to talk to her about a boy. She was sixteen and she never been interested in a boy before. It wasn't that she didn't want a boyfriend or anything, it was just that none of the guys back home caught her interest. Most boys in Florida were either beach bums who tried to get their older siblings to buy them beer and get drunk by a bonfire, or the others basically hid themselves in their homes to be out of the sun. Tiana's taste in boys was much higher grade, which was why she never been asked out on a date—let alone been kissed.

"Yuri Plisetsky? Yeah, I guess he's good."

Tiana closed her eyes. She knew he was more than _good._ He was phenomenal. His every movement was fluid, and his jumps was the definition of perfection. The way he carried himself as he skated showed he had complete confidence in himself. He was beautiful and strong all at once. The short time Tiana watched him skate, she was captured in his performance. Even if she was able to perform perfectly at her debut, his skills then would've surpassed hers by a long shot. She could see that now.

"You can be too."

Tiana turned her head to look at him, a puzzled expression on her face.

"If you give yourself a second chance, I'm sure you can make a full comeback from three years ago."

Her heart sank.

He really did want her to go back to competing seriously, but could she? Did she want to?

"You don't have to say yes or no right now. The season is almost over, but it's something to think about. If you agree, we can start training when school ends."

That brought problem two to the table. Tiana was not looking forward to school in her new country. On the bright side, she was going to the International Academy of St. Petersburg. It was a school that used English as their primary language for teaching, and that helped Tiana calm her nerves. At least she didn't have to speak Russian all the time.

Tiana looked out her window, pressing her lips together. What could she tell her father? She knew he wanted to know what she thought, but she wasn't sure herself yet. Today was the first time she skated in years, and it was exhilarating. Did she want to do it again? Oh yeah. Did she want to compete? That was up for debate.

The car was blowing warm heat out of the vents, and Boris started backing out of his spot. He drove across the empty parking lot and looked both ways before entering the street. The street lights lit the dark road, and cars passed them on the high way. Tiana leaned the side of her head against the window, thinking carefully over her choice of words.

If she competed, she could start over and learn all her jumps from her father again. Then her father would feel like a coach again and he would be happy with that. When she was young, he expressed how excited he was to coach as she grew older. He was always there for her at the ice rink with patience. If she didn't, she wouldn't mind skating for fun. But, she wanted to make her father happy too.

"I'll think about it." Tiana finally said after a few minutes of silence.

Tiana didn't have to look. She could hear the smile in her father's voice.

"Thank you."

She surpassed a sigh and closed her eyes.

Would everything really be okay?

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Thank you for reading this far. 3 I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. I didn't edit this chapter, so I am so so so sorry if you found any grammar/spelling you might've crossed. I started school this week, and I am super busy. I am trying to finish writing chapter 5, but IT IS SO HARD! QwQ But I'm determined to have it completed before next Thursday. Please, continue leaving reviews for me! They help encourage me so much!**

 **UNTIL NEXT TIME~!**


	5. Chapter 5-Break Me

A cold breeze blew softly as Yuri ran down the sidewalk. White puffs of air left his mouth as he continued to run. His jacket clung to his body as sweat trickled down his forehead. Cars on the road wheezed pass him, but he didn't pay no mind to it. He was completely focused on the goal set before him. His blue-green eyes lifted, glinting in the sunlight to the Ice Palace before him. The international championship was coming in a few months, but he needed to focus on the prize now: gold. He was the first boy to win a gold medal at his senior debut during the Grand Prix Final. Through determination, he was going to be the first to win a gold medal at the International Championship in March.

"Yuri! It's too cold for you to be running outside like that!" Diana barked at him when she saw him enter the lobby. Yuri waved her off and walked pass her to the men's locker room to change into his practice clothes.

"Hey! I am talking to you!" Diana reached out and grabbed him by the arm, but he flung her arm off. He turned to face her, his eyebrows furrowed and his teeth gritting.

"Don't touch me!" He snapped at her.

Diana's emerald green eyes widen in surprise when she realized he was mad and she stepped back. "I was just-."

"Just shut up." He turned his back to her and walked off.

"Why are you mad?" She asked more to herself than to him. Either way, Yuri didn't turn to look back at her. He pushed the door open with a strong force and walked inside.

"He isn't doing too well," said a nurse to the doctor outside a patient's room. "His vitals aren't showing much progress, and his blood pressure is low. I don't know how much longer he can hold on."

Yuri was standing around the corner, listening to the doctor and the nurse speak to each other. He was trying his hardest not to be noticed.

"Have you informed his family of his prognosis?"

The nurse shook her head.

"His daughter is out of reach at this time. His only family is his 15-year-old grandson."

The doctor looked at his clipboard.

"Poor kid… He's about to be completely alone."

"He has his own source of income, so I'm sure he'll be fine."

Yuri grit his teeth together and ran out of the building.

Yuri hit the wall with his fist. The doctors aren't trying hard enough to make his grandfather better. He knew he was sick, but he didn't think he was that sick!

Books and papers scattered the floor. "Excuse me!" Tiana apologized before she saw who she bumped into. She knelt to the floor to pick up her stuff, but a pair of helpful hands beat her. She stood back up to thank the stranger, to see it was no stranger. It was Yuri.

"Watch where you're going," Yuri's words were cold as he walked around her.

Tiana turned her head to watch him leave, her shoulders tensing. She could feel his rage from where she stood.

Yuri practiced abnormally hard on the ice. Anyone who was there could see that. His breathing was ragged and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. He was upset about something, and Tiana wished she knew what it was. Diana, on the other hand, was watching him from the side. Tiana could see the look of concern in Diana's eyes. She was worried about Yuri.

A gasp passed Diana's lips, and Tiana jerked her head over to see Yuri on the ground. Her eyes widen when she heard Yuri yell with a mixture of pain and frustration. His fist pounded into the ice, but he gets back up.

"Yuri! You're going to hurt yourself!" Diana yelled out to him, her hands gripped the wall tightly.

"Shut up!" Yuri shouted back. He ignored her warning and continued his practice.

Tiana watched from the side. This Yuri wasn't the one she saw a few weeks ago when she moved on television. This one was completely different. When she saw his clips from the Grand Prix Final he was beautiful and skated with the experience of a world champion. The Yuri she currently saw was full of rage and anger. His movements weren't as fluid as before and they were filled with such rage...

Flakes of ice flung about as he done a combination spin. His hands covered his face, his facial features distorted.

"I'll show them… I'll show them all." Yuri mumbled to himself angrily. He skated across the rink and performed a Quadruple Salchow. Tiana watched with amazement in her eyes. Despite his anger, he was able to practice perfectly—even after he dropped. When he fell he got back up. When it was her, she gave up. Giving up was always easier for her.

Tiana realized she was comparing herself to him. Yuri was a fighter, and she wasn't. . . He fought to obtain his goals. As for she… She gave up after one slip of her feet. She desired to have a fire light up in her heart—to feel the burning sensation of wanting to win with all of her might. If she loses, even after she gave it all, at least she can say she tried.

Her eyes widen as she witnessed Yuri fall again, his body slamming hard against the ice. Something was off about him. His movements were becoming choppy as he continued.

"Yuri! That's enough!" Diana yelled across the rink. "You're going to hurt yourself!" She reminded him, and he spun around to face her. His face was contorted with anger, his mouth snarling and his eyes sneering toward her. Diana looked taken aback, her breath caught in her throat. Tiana could see the look of fear for the boy in her face.

Yuri ignored her though, continuing his jumps. He did a quadruple Salchow, but the rotation was too fierce and he jumped too high. He landed on his feet, but when he did, he twisted his ankle.

A loud yell of pain left his lips and he fell to the ground, gripping his ankle.

"Yuri!"

Diana didn't hesitate to go out on the ice. Her skating shoes laced on already. She skated across to him.

"Yuri! Are you okay?"

Tiana could hear Diana from where she stood at the wall.

"Get away from me!" Yuri shoves Diana, his face twisted in anger.

Diana stared at him, wide eyed.

"I don't want your help!" He gritted his teeth together. "Just because we went out on a date two times does not make you my girlfriend. You don't know anything."

Tiana could hear Diana's heart break. Tears filled the red haired girl's eyes and she yelled at him.

"Jerk!"

She skated away from him, her hair hanging in front of her face.

As Diana skated pass Tiana, she noticed a few tears fall from her eyes.

Yuri yelped in pain and Tiana looked to the young boy. His face was contorted in pain. He took a knee to the ice and rubbed his ankle.

"I can help you."

Tiana offered, holding her hand out to him. Yuri saw and he smacked her hand away.

"I don't need anyone's help."

Blue-green eyes rested on her blue orbs, and they stared at each other. She pressed a frown back and she gripped his wrist, pulling him. "I don't care if you need my help. I'm helping you anyway." She protested, helping him up to his feet.

"Ouch!" Yuri hissed, his eyes wincing from the pain.

Tiana put his arm over her shoulder. Not a word of protest came from Yuri's mouth. She took her time to skate across the ice with him leaning against her shoulder. Alan met her halfway across the ice and helped her carry the young skater back to the floor.

"What happened?" Alan asked.

Tiana looked at Yuri, his head turned to the side with a frustrated look on his face.

"An accident."

She wasn't sure what happened herself, but she was sure Yuri twisted his ankle when he landed on his jump.

"Hey! What's going on?" Boris, her father, came running from his office. "Did Yuri get hurt?" He asked, looking taken aback.

Yuri didn't say a single word. His teeth were clenched tightly together in pain. Her father met Tiana and Yuri at the benches. "Sit him down. Let me take a look at his foot." He instructed.

Alan helped Tiana carefully to sit Yuri down on the bench. Yuri didn't lift his head to look at them or anything…

Boris removed his shoe and saw Yuri flinch. He removed his sock, and his foot was swollen and red.

"I'm no doctor, but it looks like your foot is slightly sprained…" He stated.

Yuri tsked.

"For now, I think it's best you get up and go see a doctor. I'll call your grandpa." He offered, but Yuri said no.

"There's no need… Grandpa won't be able to make it…" He explained slowly.

Boris stared at him for a little while and palmed his face with his hand.

"I guess I'll leave then and take you." He looked around the room. "Alan, will you be sure to hold down the fort for me till I get back? Hopefully I won't be gone for long…"

Alan nodded his head. "Yes sir. You can count on me." He gave him a thumbs up.

Boris sighed and he looked at Tiana. "You're coming with me. I'm taking him to the hospital, but I want you to wait with him there."

Tiana looked taken aback. "Why me?" She asked him, slightly surprised.

"Don't question it… Just do it… for me…"

Tiana's eyes wavered and she nodded her head. "Okay, dad."

A few minutes later, Boris drove Yuri and Tiana to the hospital.

"Call me when the staff releases him." Boris said through the open car window to Tiana.

"I will…"

Boris rowed up the window.

Inside the hospital, Yuri was already sitting on one of the chairs. His arms were crossed over his chest. His eyebrows were knitted together and Tiana sat back next to him.

"The staff said we shouldn't be waiting for long…"

Yuri didn't reply. Her attempt to start a conversation failed.

Tiana sighed and she looked at the ticking clock on the wall. Time felt like it was going very slow. Here, she was sitting next to a guy who she knew any girl would be happy to have this chance to be near him-but not Tiana. She wanted more than anything to get away from him-especially after what happened at her first competition.

A sigh passed her lips.

Why were the staff taking so long?

She checked the time on her phone. It has been only an hour since they arrived.

"What's eating you?" Yuri spoke.

Tiana looked at him, slightly surprised he spoke.

"Nothing… honestly…" She replied.

Yuri snorted. "Yeah right… You've been sighing for almost over an hour."

"No I haven't…"

"Yes you have." He gave her stoned face look.

Tiana rubbed her arm.

"I'm sorry… I just don't… feel… necessarily comfortable."

Yuri scoffs. "Well excuse me."

The air between them thicken, neither of them attempting to break the silence. Too much was on her mind. How did she end up in this moment with Yuri? Russia was a huge place. Why did he end up practicing at her father's rink out of all the rinks in St. Petersburg? It was disheartening… She wasn't sure how to react at all.

The time on the clock continued to tick away. Yuri played with his phone the entire time. She had a feeling he was on Twitter or something like. Tiana had her phone in her hands, staring at the blank screen with a blank look. She could see her reflection off of the glass.

"Yuri Plisetsky."

"About damn time." He was in a wheelchair and he wheeled himself to the nurse.

The woman scanned her card over the card reader and two big doors opened. "Right this way." She shows him to the back, pushing his wheelchair.

Tiana sighed once more when his body disappeared into the room. She leaned her head back against the wall, staring at the ceiling.

"What am I going to do?" She mumbled to herself, but definite reply was coming her way anytime soon.


	6. Chapter 6-Cold

A few hours later Yuri and Tiana left the hospital. Yuri had a bandage wrapped around his foot and he was walking out on crutches. Yuri had a slight sprain and the doctor said he needed to be off of his foot for the next two weeks. Yuri had a look of anger on his face, but she could tell he was more angry at himself rather than anyone else.

Waiting at the entrance of the hospital was Tiana's father. He was sitting in the car and when he saw Yuri he stepped outside the vehicle to open the door for him.

"I got it, you old man. I don't need your help." Yuri argued, grumbling loudly to himself.

Boris ignored Yuri as he walked around the car to open the door for him. Yuri scoffs, but he says no more as he gets in the car slowly. He tried his best to show he wasn't having a hard time, but he couldn't put pressure on his sprained foot. Boris rested his hand on the top of the car, protecting Yuri's head from banging his crown on the door. Yuri growled, but he somehow managed to get in the car.

Tiana sat in the front seat, not saying much of anything. She couldn't look back at Yuri, but she couldn't help but think his situation was kind of comical… Grand Prix Winner Yuri Plisetsky sprained his ankle today while he was practicing at the rink. She had to cover up the smile that threaten to come by wrapping her scarf around her face. She rubbed her hands together, acting like she was cold.

Her father closed the back door, walked back around the car, and slid into the driver seat. He saw how Tiana was bundled up and chuckled.

"A little cold, nibblet?" He asked with a teasing tone in his voice.

Tiana just let out a soft laugh. "A little."

The SUV growled to life. Boris turned the heater on all the way up, the warm air coming out slow but it soon filled the entire vehicle. Boris revved up the engine by pressing on the gas peddle. "Vroom vroom." He winks at Tiana. The young girl actually laughed softly at her father. He was showing off, but she didn't mind at all. She was used to her dad always teasing her or making her laugh whenever possible. Back home, she didn't have many friends, but when she did, her father was always the comic relief at her get-togethers. Fortunately for them, that didn't happen often. The last get-together she had was her 11th birthday party, and the only people that showed up from her school was Kandy Long, the girl who enjoyed picking her nose way too much during class, and Eugene Stevenson who had really bad asthma. She had history class with Eugene, and he would breathe on her neck during class a lot. He had this unhealthy obsession with her back. Ew. No. Thankfully for her, he moved back in seventh grade to some place called Ocilla, Georgia.

"I've already called your grandfather. He knows about you falling and hurting yourself." Boris said as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Hee offered to come get you, but I told him I would take you home."

Yuri tsked. "You should've let him get me, that way I wouldn't be stuck in this car with two losers."

Boris pressed his lips together. He didn't like Yuri's attitude at all, but he already knew from the magazines and television how he was like.

If he only knew…

"Regardless, I'm taking you home. Besides, you're not that far from where we live. I couldn't ask your grandfather to leave this late in the day to get you at the hospital."

Tiana's eyes roamed to the clock on the dash. He was right. It was going on 10PM almost. Her father must've already closed the rink for the day-which reminds her. She probably won't see Yuri skating for a little while. The rink will be very quiet… maybe… She wasn't sure, but she'll find out probably tomorrow.

Yuri didn't say another word during the trip back to his home. Tiana didn't say anything herself. Her attention was solely on the sky outside of her window. It was a cloudy night, so she couldn't see any stars. Even if it wasn't, she wouldn't be able to see many. They were in the city portion of St. Petersburg where there were a lot of lights filling the late night. It was like this back home in Florida too, but during the off season when there aren't many tourists there were less lights. During the winter, when it got colder, even in Florida, Tiana and her mother would sit on the back porch and look at the sky. They would make out what the constellations were, and her father would sit next to her mom. He would wrap his arm over her shoulder and hug close to him. The last time they did that was about two years ago. A lot can change in two years.

A frown replaced the smile that was her face. A single tear escaped from the corner of her eye. She pressed her forehead against the cool window. She could feel her father glancing to look at her. He knew there was something wrong, but he didn't ask her. Yuri was still in the car with them, and he didn't ask him with him in the car.

Tiana wrapped her scarf tighter around her face to hide the frown.

The divorce… it really did tear Tiana apart. How could it happen? It wasn't that long ago when her parents were happy-when they were all happy. She remembered when they would watch movies every Friday night after Tiana finished her homework. Her mom would take extra time in the kitchen to prepare a nice meal for them to share as a family. Her mom cooked every day regardless, but Friday night meals were extra special since they all cooked together. It was her favorite night of the week, and she looked forward to it.

At school, Tiana didn't have a pleasant student life. She was often picked on because she shared the same schools with the same people she knew since she was in kindergarten. People knew who her parents were and how famous they are. Tiana was often bullied and picked on growing up, and she hated it. She never told her parents about the bullying. She figured it would make it worse, and she didn't want her parents to worry. She was a big girl. She could handle herself just fine… At least… that was what she thought…

After her parents divorced, the news of it spread like wildfire. It was like a ticking time bomb was set off and the students back at her school took advantage of her situation to make her life miserable. On top of being bullied, she also lost her family movie night. She couldn't even remember the last time they cooked together as family… Tiana should've noticed long long long time ago when her parents stopped cooking dinner together with her. She shouldn't believe her mom when she told her her dad was just at work overtime that week, or when she told her that she was too busy doing whatever she was doing. Probably cheating on her dad or something like that.

Tiana was so mad. She was mad at everything and everyone. She was tired of pretending like everything was okay, when it clearly wasn't okay. Now here she was, in Russia with her recently divorced dad and Yuri Plisetsky is sitting in the backseat of the vehicle with a sprained ankle. How could things get worse then this?

The SUV came to a full stop in front of a rather nice house. Tiana looked out the window and she recognized the house… Her eyes widen. She turned her head to look at the other side of the street to be sure she wasn't seeing things. Her fingers dug into the palm of her hands and she bit on lower lip.

Yuri Plisetsky lived across the street from where she lived…

When people say it's a small world she would think it was such an ironic thing to say. The world wasn't _that_ small. Now she wanted to take that back… take that back so bad… because it truly was _a small world._

Tiana was so thankful that no one could see her face right now. She didn't have to look in the mirror to know all the color from her face drained and along with her body's warmth. It was dark, and she was thankful that no one could see how pale she was in the dark… Her dad would think there was something seriously wrong with her. Like… the plague, or something silly like that. But this… this was not silly. This was very serious! How did this happen? How could she not realize Yuri Plisetsky lived across the street from her home? And then she thought to herself… Maybe if she looked out the window more often and see the world she would've noticed sooner.

Voices broke through her train of thought. She turned her head to see, who she assumed, was Yuri's grandpa. He was a tall, elderly man with a streaks of grey and white through his full beard. His eyes were slightly squint, and he had a cheerful smile on his face, despite the occasion. She watched as the older man slapped Yuri on the shoulder, busting out with a loud laugh. "Yurachka!" He shook his head.

Even Yuri look a little embarrassed.

The two adults talked amongst themselves as Tiana sat in the car where it was warm. She rubbed her hands together and looked out the front window. She noted to herself that it was starting to snow as small flakes fell onto the windshield. As soon as it touched the shield it melted away into wet droplets.

Tiana shivered. She hated the snow. She hated the cold. It was cold almost year round. She dreaded the summer… In Florida it's normally near the 100s, but St. Petersburg… They were lucky if it reached almost 80 degrees…

A few minutes later her dad joined her back in the car. He had a solemn look on his face. He pulled the SUV out of park to drive. All he did was turn the car slightly and they were in their own driveway within a matter of seconds.

Boris turned off the engine and they both exited the vehicle. They went to the front door and her father thumbed through his keys in search of the right one to unlock the front. Tiana stared at Yuri's home across the street from her. Two lights were on downstairs, and she was curious to know what was being said between Yuri and his grandpa.

Puffs of white air left her mouth, her hands tucked in her coat's pocket to keep them warm. The snow started to fall more heavy onto the ground. The two lights turned off and Yuri's house was in complete darkness.

"Tiana… aren't you coming in?"

Tiana lifted her head to see her dad has unlocked the door and he was holding it open for open. She nodded her head and stepped inside her home. Her dad closed the door behind him once they were inside where it was nice and warm.

"Goodnight…" Tiana said, moving to the stairs to go to her room. It was late. She needed to rest. Even after living here for three weeks, she still hasn't adjusted to the time.

"Aren't you hungry?"

After what happened earlier today, neither of them had dinner. Tiana simply didn't feel the need to eat. She'd rather go upstairs and be alone for a little while.

"No thank you." She replied and moved up the stairs.

Boris let out a ragged sigh. "What am I going to do with her?" He asked himself once she was out of sight.

In her room Tiana threw herself back onto her bed. She covered her forehead with her arm and she stared at the ceiling as if it could talk. She thought back to what happened earlier today before Yuri hurt himself.

" _I can help you."_

 _Tiana offered, holding her hand out to him. Yuri saw and he smacked her hand away._

" _I don't need anyone's help."_

Tiana rolled over onto her stomach and she buried her face in her clutched pillow. What was she thinking? Why was she even thinking of him at this time? Worse things happened to her before, but every time she thought about him, her stomach turned into knots and her heartbeat picked up. She thought to the time their eyes met and her insides turned into mesh.

"Stop thinking about him…" She mumbled to herself.

After a few minutes have passed, Tiana got out of bed to go get changed into her pajamas. It was going on midnight now and she really needed to get sleep for tomorrow. Her dad was going to take her shopping for school. In two weeks, she'll be walking the halls of her new school. She was the least thrilled about school…

The cool texture of her silk pajamas felt nice against her smooth skin. She crawled into her bed and hid underneath the covers where the cold couldn't reach her. She turned over onto her side and turned off the light.


End file.
